ckaiserca

I am a collector of things: Swords, Tsuba, Coins, Stamps, Plates, Books...

I retired from full-time work with the Town of Newmarket, Ontario at the NewRoads Performing Arts Centre in February of 2024. I worked for the Town of Newmarket for 25 years.  I was the Technical Coordinator for Performing Arts in addition to being the lighting designer and resident sound guy. I hold an honors Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Lighting Design and Technical Direction from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. I have worked for the New Mexico Repertory Theatre, the Sarasota Opera, the Sarasota Children's Opera, the Porthouse Theatre, the Santa Fe Opera, the Greater Miami Opera (now the Florida Grand Opera), the Arkansas Children's Theatre, and as a freelance designer and technician all over North America. I moved to Canada from the United States when I got married in 1993.

I also work as a professional pyrotechnician doing pyrotechnic special effects for live performances as well as large-scale aerial fireworks displays.

My job just previous to my tenure in Newmarket was as production manager at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts (now the Meridian Arts Centre) in Metropolitan Toronto. The Centre was a major performing arts venue with three theatres: an 1800-seat main hall, a 1032 seat recital hall, and a 200 seat studio theatre. When I left, I was in charge of the whole shootin' match. The main hall of the facility has now been subdivided into two theatres, the 296-seat Greenwin Theatre and the 576-seat Lyric Theatre.

I came to the NewRoads Performing Arts Centre more than 20 years ago after spending almost six years in various capacities at the Ford Centre working for former theatre giant Livent Inc. While with Livent I worked on projects for various shows including Show Boat, Sunset Boulevard, Ragtime, and Fosse. Basically, I moved up the ladder from an assistant designer position to the position of production manager of the facility. In addition to duties for shows in the 1800 seat main hall, I also was busy overseeing the production aspects of all rentals and concert series events in the 1000 seat George Weston Recital Hall. The George Weston Recital Hall is generally accepted as being one of the most acoustically superb halls in North America. It regularly played host to such internationally acclaimed artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Kathleen Battle. We also presented many artists requiring sound reinforcement such as Arlo Guthrie, Chick Corea, the Boys Choir of Harlem, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

While I enjoyed many aspects of my job with Livent, as an administrator I felt very disconnected from the actual hands-on work that I used to do as a designer and technician. I credit the financial failure of Livent with changing my life. After spending nearly six years in the pressure cooker environment of the Ford Centre, I was ready for a change. All I needed was a push. Coincidentally, that push came in the form of the spectacular failure of Livent just nine days into what was to be an eight-week leave for medical reasons. As I was about to head out the door on my last day before my leave, my wife phoned regarding the position with the Newmarket Theatre. I interviewed for the job during a break in my medical treatment, was offered the job on Christmas Eve, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The NewRoads Performing Arts Centre regularly plays host to nationally and internationally known stars. In past seasons we have presented the likes of famed Canadian pianist John Arpin, country star Beverley Mahood, well known Canadian children's entertainers Judy and David, former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay, Canadian singer/songwriter Jim Witter, the Irish Rovers, the internationally renowned Famous People Players, Canadian tenor John McDermott, Canada's songbird Rita McNeil, Jeff Healey, The Stampeders, Michael Burgess and Canadian east coast group the Barra MacNeils.